NOVEL WEB Chapter 0704: Battle Against the Holy Beast
"...but this is where your journey ends."
In the dark space, the clown's sinister voice echoed.
This gloomy and bleak space, with its evil and unsightly clown and many ugly and grotesque mechanical puppets, had a strange and chilling aesthetic.
Chen Yu fixed his gaze and saw that the person sitting atop the mechanical puppet, made up as a clown, was none other than the Clown Artifact Refiner from the Cultivation Spirit Hall who had helped Chen Yu melt the Golden Phoenix Wing.
However, it seemed that the individual was also a Master of Mechanical Techniques, a Puppet Master...
Apart from Chen Yu, the others did not recognize the clown.
Confronted by the prevailing situation and especially the clown's confident remark, everyone felt the pressure and danger mounting.
Lu Ling also figured the clown was no ordinary person and hard to see through.
The dark-skinned middle-aged man, Lu Ling, and others subconsciously stood together on a united front.
They had not gained much so far on their journey, while the clown, having arrived first, likely had a great harvest.
Chen Yu stood still; had it not been for the clown's previous assistance with refining treasures, he too would have readily stood in opposition.
Suddenly, the clown spoke up again.
"Can I take back that last sentence?"
"You have the upper hand in numbers, and Brother Dong is no match. Let's explore for treasures together, peacefully."
Brother Dong's attitude changed abruptly, his face wore an amiable smile. However, paired with his makeup, he didn't look friendly at all.
This sudden shift caught Chen Yu and the rest off guard.
The dark-skinned middle-aged man breathed a slight sigh of relief while also feeling somewhat disdainful.
The clown looked bizarre and commanded many puppets, but controlling so many simultaneously surely meant he couldn't pay attention to all of them, nor could he display much combat power, could he?
They had been initially intimidated by the sudden appearance of the weird clown, which was why they had lost the battle of momentum.
"Playing at ghosts and gods," the dark-skinned middle-aged man couldn't help but snort coldly.
"Brother Dong also just arrived; this place is fraught with danger, but opportunities abound as well," the clown said with a casual laugh.
Afterwards, everyone began to move. The dark-skinned middle-aged man and the woman in black robes stayed close to each other.
After answering Lu Ling's question, the clown leaped down and approached Chen Yu.
"You're really lucky to run into Brother Dong again."
The clown's smile was rich.
"Heh heh..."
Chen Yu chuckled, unsure of how to reply.
But after some thought, he was preparing to seek an Artifact Refining Master to awaken the Artifact Spirit within the Nine Bone Demon Spirit Sword and perhaps ask the clown for help again.
However, the clown gave Chen Yu a feeling of unease; he decided to investigate first, to avoid endangering himself by revealing his top-notch Spiritual Artifact and potentially giving rise to the clown's murderous greed.
To avoid the awkwardness, Chen Yu asked, "Why does the place where the Back Mountain Fire Ape fell look like this?"
Within the giant mountain that the Back Mountain Fire Ape had transformed into, there was no trace of the Holy Beast's fire-type aura to be felt.
"Heh heh, that's because, this is also the resting place of another Holy Beast!"
The clown smiled enigmatically.
"Another Holy Beast?"
Chen Yu showed a look of surprise and intrigue.
But it also made sense; the Back Mountain Fire Ape could have perished in a battle with another Holy Beast.
Not far away, Lu Ling heard this remark and remained expressionless.
Upon entering this place, he had sensed the scent of another Holy Beast, completely different from the Back Mountain Fire Ape, and it seemed to be... alive!
Chen Yu no longer wasted words with the clown and began to explore the desolate and dark space.
The clown, having arrived earlier, had likely taken all the easy-to-get treasures.
The group ventured deeper.
Suddenly, several dark shadows flickered in the gloom, as if an illusion.
Chen Yu swept with his Spiritual Sense, but detected nothing.
Not far away, there was a disturbance of True Yuan and sounds of combat, but it was too dark to see anything clearly.
Just then, Chen Yu suddenly felt a sense of crisis and threw a punch instinctively, but it hit nothing.
Immediately after, he felt a cool breeze skim over his body surface.
Hissss!
Sparks flew as three sharp claws left their mark on Chen Yu's arm.
The next moment, he surged with spiritual power, unleashing the power of the Spatial Realm.
Within a hundred feet, every detail was under his control.
He vaguely sensed a shadow about three meters long, its body pitch black, its aura reined in, giving off a very dangerous feeling.
"Shadow Wolf!"
Chen Yu identified the creature.
The ancient Beast Shadow Wolf, a creature of darkness, known as the Dark Night Hunter.
In these depths of shadow where one could not even see their own hand, the Shadow Wolf moved with ease, unseen when it came and gone without a trace. Once it set its sights on something, it would persistently attack until victory was won.
Suddenly, the Shadow Wolf moved, transforming into a series of dark afterimages, attacking Chen Yu.
Marshalling the power of the Spatial Realm, Chen Yu readied himself and, as the Shadow Wolf neared, he punched out explosively.
Boom! Bam!
Sounds of flesh tearing, bones breaking rang out as the Shadow Wolf was thrown back, slain by Chen Yu's punch.
This Shadow Wolf was at the Half-step Sky Sea Realm, with superior bloodline and thriving in this kind of environment, which was why it had been so troublesome. But as its body was relatively frail, it died from a single punch from Chen Yu.
Afterward, Chen Yu grew accustomed to the Shadow Wolf's combat style and, with the Spatial Realm Power, would kill each one that came at him.
The others gradually adapted as well, no longer as disoriented as before.
But just then,
A sense of extreme danger pervaded the air, and the pitch-black space around seemed to grow even darker.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew through.
Boom!
Lu Ling exerted the power of his golden body with a strike, the Buddha's light shone but was dim and heavy.
He was instantly sent flying, a bloody claw mark left on his chest.
"Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf!"
Lu Ling exclaimed in shock.
As a member of the Blood Race, he could feel the Holy Beast blood within that creature's body.
"What, the Holy Beast Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf?"
The dark-skinned middle-aged man exclaimed, pressing close to the woman in black, his face solemn.
The Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf, an extremely rare and elusive Holy Beast, dwells in places of extreme yin and darkness, a king among assassins in the shadow.
Most people had only heard of such a Holy Beast but did not know its true appearance; those who saw it were few, and then, they were dead.
Chen Yu was also startled; he hadn't expected a Holy Beast to be here.
If this Holy Beast wasn't too strong, and with a bit of luck, could he obtain its bloodline?
However, he had heard of the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf before, and in this kind of environment, such a thought might be unrealistic.
At that moment, Lu Ling let out a cold laugh, "Heh heh!"
He manipulated his spell, his palms flickering with a sinister dark red light, transforming into a series of strange and elusive dark red characters that floated out.
As a creature of the Blood Race, his terrifying nature was not much lesser than that of the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf.
Suddenly, in the darkness, a flash of red light appeared, moving constantly.
"The Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf is feared for its formidable natural talent; in darkness, no one can deal with it."
"It has just touched my blood, and now that I have used a secret technique, it can no longer hide within the shadows. I ask everyone to join forces and attack, to slay this wolf," said Lu Ling with a smile.
This was the Holy Beast Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf; he could sense that the quality of its bloodline was extraordinary. If he could consume its blood, his cultivation could break through to the next level.
If he could capture this wolf alive and bring it back to his clan, it would be a great merit.
At this moment, everyone on the scene could pinpoint the location of the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf and could somewhat determine its cultivation level, approximately at the peak of the mid-stage Sky Sea Realm.
"What a powerful Blood Path secret technique," the woman in black commented.
Generally, even if a luminescent object approached the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf, it would be concealed by the creature's Darkness Realm, rendering such methods generally ineffective. Otherwise, the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf would not be so fearsome.
Recently, there had been incessant rumors about the Blood Race, and the woman in black regarded Lu Ling with a skeptical look.
"Alright, let's work together," the dark-skinned man said with great resolve.
Once they had confirmed the location of the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf, it would be much easier to handle.
Moreover, the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf was guarding this place—who knew if there were even more valuable treasures inside.
"I've fought with this Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf before, and we both suffered some injuries. If you can slay it, make sure to give me a bigger share," he said.
"Brother Dong is now going to seal off this area to prevent others from entering. Rest assured and focus on defeating the enemy," chimed in a jovial clown, floating off, leaving behind three puppets to aid in the battle.
"Hmph!"
The dark-skinned man snorted coldly without saying a word. The clown's actions had the suspicion of playing the fisherman's role.
However, when they entered, they indeed had not sealed off their retreat; to prevent others from entering this place, they did need the clown's Mechanical Techniques to seal the area.
Moreover, it seemed that the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf wasn't in its prime condition, which was good news.
"Thinking of killing me? A delusional fantasy, humans!"
The ethereal voice of the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf resonated from the darkness.
Boom!
It burst forth with a terrifying aura that caused all living beings to tremble, a black and gloomy storm raging in all directions.
Chen Yu, through the power of the Spatial Realm, sensed that behind the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf, a pair of bat-like wings unfolded.
Swoosh!
The Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf soared into the sky, its speed incredibly fast.
Although Lu Ling's secret technique allowed them to see the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf, its speed remained terrifyingly awe-inspiring.
Swish—
The woman in black flicked her wrist, and five icy-cold silver needles shot out.
Ting, ting, ting!
The silver needles embedded themselves in the rocks, obviously dodged by the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf.
Just then, the portly man swung his knife—a swipe too fast for the average person to see, but Chen Yu could sense its majestic and exceptionally mysterious force. The blade light flashed at an odd angle, grazing the skin of the Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf and slicing off a thin layer.
"What an impressive knife technique," Chen Yu couldn't help but marvel.
"Ah, performance was off," the portly man said with a laugh, not in a hurry to make another move.
Boom!
Elsewhere, from the chest of a square puppet, two circular holes appeared, from which two beams of blue light burst forth.
Meanwhile, two other grotesque and fierce-looking spider puppets took action; their coordination was extremely tacit.
"Together, attack!" commanded the dark-skinned middle-aged man.
The Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf was fast and had strong dodging abilities.
But with many people present—all strong individuals from the Sky Sea Realm and with a broad range of attacks—could the wolf dodge all of their assaults?
He spread his hand and struck out; the black palm was surrounded by mist, emanating a scent of death as it howled forward.
"If I can capture the Holy Beast Ethereal Night Shadow Wolf and then kill Chen Yu, perhaps I can atone for my failings and save my own life," Lu Ling calculated in his heart.
Chen Yu was too difficult to deal with; it was impossible to find out the whereabouts of the Young Ancestor from him, and after so long, the Young Ancestor was probably dead.
To prevent Chen Yu from suddenly sabotaging his plan to capture the Holy Beast, it was also necessary to lift the Blood Soul Fusion Technique. Only then could he go all out and kill Chen Yu!
"Heh heh, let them all wear themselves out first. Then when I act, I will capture the Holy Beast and kill Chen Yu, draining their blood," Lu Ling schemed in his heart.